was the last and greatest expression, was about to come to an end, and to be replaced by a Hindu-Mahratta supremacy. Perhaps only the incapacity of the Mahrattas to develop an efficient system of government prevented this consummation. But in the meanwhile the unceasing raids of the Mahratta war-bands intensified the chaos. The existence of this chaos forced the European traders, English, French, and Dutch, to become military powers in self-defence. The genius of the Frenchman, Dupleix, had seen that the small bodies of European-trained native troops which the trading companies maintained could be effectively employed in the constant strife of Indian princes and adventurers; and that by these means a political ascendancy and, as a consequence, commercial monopoly might without much difficulty be secured. The dazzling success which Dupleix achieved between 1748 and 1751 in carrying out this programme, had alarmed the English, and had forced them, in self-defence, to adopt the same methods; with the result that they had succeeded in placing a prince under their protection on the throne of the Carnatic, while a French force under Bussy dominated Hyderabad, the capital of southern India. Thus the European traders had become further elements in the confusion-new claimants for a share in the inheritance of the tottering Mogul Empire. It was thus an Empire in dissolution and confusion which Orme described. What impressed him most in all this chaos was the absence of any impartial justice, and of any efficient means of protecting the weak against the strong. In Orme's view, the Reign of Law, which is the very basis of Western civilisation, and the condition precedent to all healthy political life, simply did not exist in the India that he knew. And this was to be the one supreme gift of the British power to the peoples of India-the greatest justification of the establishment of that power. The third excerpt, from a popular English magazine of 1757, has little historical value, except as an illustration of the way in which India appeared to the home-keeping Englishman. It is the land of fabulously rich potentates, sitting on thrones of jewelled gold, riding forth to hunt with trains of 10,000 followers, on elephants caparisoned in velvet and brocade. The India of the patient, laborious and frugal ryot has not yet begun to reach his imagination, and it is not surprising that when the news of Plassey reached him, his chief expectation was that an inexhaustible stream of wealth must now pour into Britain. The really surprising thing is, not that a people 7000 miles away, and represented in India by men whose primary business had always been the accumulation of private profits, should have permitted abuses at first, when this glittering Empire fell by chance into their hands, and should have made initial mistakes in dealing with the problem : the surprising and wonderful thing is that these abuses should have lasted so short a time. Within twenty years of the battle of Plassey Bengal had received from Warren Hastings the first outlines of a system of justice, logical, efficient, and impartial to a degree never known before. Within sixty years almost the whole of India had accepted the Company as paramount power; corruption and the tyrannous abuse of authority had been banished from among its servants, and vast and populous regions enjoyed an immunity from war and a security of justice such as India had not seen for centuries, if ever. That is the remarkable achievement which we are to trace in the following pages in the words of the men who brought it about. 1. A FACTORY OF THE EAST INDIA COMPANY IN THE From Fryer's "Travels,” published 1696 The house the English live in at Surat, is partly the King's1 gift, partly hired; built of stone and excellent timber, with good carving, without representations; very strong, for that each floor is half a yard thick at least, of the best plastered cement, which is very weighty. It is contrived after the Moors' 2 buildings, with upper and lower galleries, terras 1 I.e. the Mogul's. 2 Moor was commonly used for Mahomedan by the Europeans in India down to the time of Warren Hastings. walks, a neat oratory, a convenient open place for meals. The President has spacious lodgings, noble rooms for counsel and entertainment, pleasant tanks, yards, and an hummum to wash in; but no gardens in the city, or very few, though without they have many, like wildernesses, overspread with trees. The English had a neat one, but Sivaji's 1 coming destroyed it; it is known, as the other factories are, by their several flags flying. 1 Here they live (in shipping time) in a continual hurly-burly, the Banyans 2 presenting themselves from the hour of ten till noon; and then afternoon at four till night, as if it were an exchange in every row; below stairs, the Packers and Warehouse-keepers, together with merchants bringing and receiving musters, make a meer Billingsgate; for if you make not a noise, they hardly think you intent on what you are doing. Among the English, the business is distributed into four offices; the Accomptant, who is next in dignity to the President, the general accompts of all India, as well as this place, passing through his hands; he is quasi treasurer, signing all things, though the broker keeps the cash. Next him is the Warehouse-keeper, who registers all Europe goods vended, and receives all Eastern commodities bought; under him is the Purser-marine who gives account of all goods exported and imported, pays seamen their wages, provides waggons and porters, looks after tackling for ships, and ships' stores. Last of all is the Secretary, who models all consultations, writes all letters, carries them to the President and Council to be perused and signed; keeps the Company's seal, which is affixed to all passes and commissions; records all transactions and sends copies of them to the Company; though none of these, without the President's approbation, can act or do anything. The affairs of India 3 are solely under his regulation; from him issue out all orders, by him all preferment is disposed; by which means the Council are biassed by his arbitrament. The whole mass of the Company's servants may be comprehended in these classes, viz., Merchants, Factors, and Writers; some blewcoat boys also have been entertained under notion of apprentices for seven years, which being expired, if they can get security, they are capable of employ 1 Sivaji, the founder of the Mahratta power. 2 Native agents (see No. 27 below). 3 I.e. the affairs of the Company throughout India. ments. The Writers are obliged to serve five years for £10 per ann. giving in bond of £500 for good behaviour, all which time they serve under some of the fore-mentioned offices. After which they commence Factors, and rise in preferment and trust, according to seniority or favour, and therefore have a £1000 bond exacted from them, and have their salary augmented to £20 per ann. for three years, then entering into new indentures, are made Senior Factors; and lastly, Merchants after three years more; out of whom are chose Chiefs of Factories, as places fall, and are allowed £40 per ann. during their stay in the Company's service, besides lodgings, and victuals at the Company's charges. These in their several seigniories behave themselves after the fundamentals of Surat, and in their respective factories live in the like grandeur; from whence they rise successively to be of the Council in Surat, which is the great council; and if the President do not contradict are sworn, and take their place accordingly, which consists of about five in number, besides the President, to be constantly resident. As for the Presidency, though the Company interpose a deserving man, yet they keep that power to themselves, none assuming that dignity till confirmed by them; his salary from the Company is £500 a year; half paid here, the other half reserved to be received at home, in case of misdemeanour to make satisfaction; beside a bond of £5000 sterling of good securities. The Accomptant has £72 per annum, fifty pound paid here, the other at home all the rest are half paid here, half at home, except the Writers, who have all paid here. Out of the council are elected the deputy-Governor of Bombaim,1 and agent of Persia; the first a place of great trust, the other of profit; though, by the appointment from the Company, the second of India claims Bombaim, and the Secretary of Surat the agency of Persia, which is connived at, and made subject to the will of the President, by the interest of those whose lot they are; chusing rather to reside here, where consignments compensate those emoluments; so that none of the Council, if noted in England, but makes considerably by his place, after the rate of five in the hundred commission; and this is the Jacob's ladder by which they ascend. It would be too mean to descend to indirect ways, which 1 Bombay. are chiefly managed by the Banyans, the fittest tools for any deceitful undertaking; out of whom are made broakers for the Company, and private persons, who are allowed 2 per cent on all bargains, besides what they squeeze secretly out of the price of things bought; which cannot be well understood for want of knowledge in their language; which ignorance is safer, than to hazard being poysoned for prying too nearly into their actions: though the Company, to encourage young men in their service, maintain a master to learn them to write and read the language and an annuity to be annexed when they gain a perfection therein, which few attempt, and fewer attain. (Fryer's Travels, original edition, p. 83.) 2. AN ENGLISHMAN'S VIEW OF THE STATE OF INDIA IN 1753 (Robert Orme, the author of the following passages, was a Member of the Council of Fort St. George (Madras) and an intimate friend of Clive. A scholarly man, he studied the history and politics of India, and made diligent collections of material. He is best known by his History of the Military Transactions of the British Nation in Indostan (3 vols.), which is the classical authority for the war in the Carnatic. The following passages are taken from an essay on the "Government and People of Indostan," published in his Historical Fragments of Indostan, and written in 1753.) Bk. I. Cap. I. Nature of the Government of Indostan in General (P. 397.) Whoever considers the vast extent of the Empire of Indostan,1 will easily conceive, that the influence of the Emperor, however despotic, can but faintly reach those parts of his dominion which lay at the greatest distance from his capital. This extent has occasioned the division of the whole kingdom into distinct provinces, over each of which the Mogul appoints a Vice Roy. These Vice Roys are, in their provinces, called Nawabs; and their territories are again subdivided into particular districts, many of which are under the government of Rajas. These are the descendants of such Hindu Princes, who, before the conquest of the kingdom,3 ruled over the same districts. The Hindus, having vastly the superiority in 1 "Hindustan " is more strictly used only for the upper Ganges valley, and in later documents it is used as a regional name, excluding Bengal, the Deccan, etc. Orme here employs it loosely as equivalent to all India. 2 I.e. the Mogul. 3 The Mahomedan conquests, from the eleventh century onwards. |